The tonos is also used to distinguish some homographicmonosyllables; for example: η (i), the feminine definite article, and ή (í), the conjunction “or”. In such cases, the tonos does not reflect a difference in stress.

When combined with the dialytika, the tonos is written between that diacritic’s two dots, as: ⟨ ΅ ⟩.

As a compromise of forms between the Ancient Greek oxia and baria, the tonos was designed as a vertical bar (similar to ⟨ ˈ ⟩, the IPA primary-stress marker); however, in most cases, it and the oxia both take the form of the Latin-script acute accent: ⟨ ´ ⟩.